Gathering Wives with a System Chapter 464: Testing The New Skill, Saintess Of War God, Legacy Quest

Isaac informed Celia that the skill was designated Master of Dual Cultivation, capable of amplifying the effectiveness of all Dual Cultivation skills and arts by a factor of five.

"Oh? That's quite beneficial," Celia responded promptly, her eyes sparkling with interest. "This means we can accelerate the upgrade of our Physiques significantly."

"Yes—"

"Let's examine the skill," she interjected before he could complete his sentence.

"...Aren't you feeling worn out after all that transpired today?"

Celia offered him a playful grin, the sort that clearly indicated the answer to his question.

...POV: Selene

It felt like a dream; Selene was utterly convinced of it.

Yet, the sensation was disquietingly real.

Everything possessed an excessive vibrancy, an undeniable tangibility.

Carnage was rampant. Moon Dragons perished in vast numbers, brutally dismembered by monstrous entities. Some dragons, in the throes of battle, underwent corruption, their silver scales darkening as madness consumed their eyes. These newly corrupted beings immediately turned upon their former comrades, attacking without the slightest hesitation.

No one was spared.

The heavens blazed. The earth fractured. Screams reverberated without end.

All life on the Moon was being systematically annihilated.

Subsequently, the world abruptly transformed. The perspective shifted, gliding across the devastated battlefield, past the expiring dragons and the corrupted beasts, towards a colossal temple constructed from pale stone. The edifice remained standing defiantly amidst the chaos, its pillars emitting a faint luminescence under the Moon's fading glow.

Within the temple's confines, a woman knelt.

She was engaged in prayer.

Selene's expression grew rigid.

That woman bore an uncanny resemblance to herself.

Outside, dragons shrieked and met their demise. The ground trembled violently. The sky began to splinter. Yet, within the temple, the woman maintained her kneeling posture, her hands clasped tightly together. Tears coursed down her cheeks as her shoulders shook uncontrollably.

"Why?" the woman cried out. "Why do you permit no one to escape?!"

Her voice fractured, laden with profound desperation.

"At the very least... allow the children to depart. I... your Saintess... implore you..."

She forcefully struck her forehead against the ground. Once. Twice. Again.

Her pleas remained unheeded.

The destruction unfolding beyond the temple intensified.

The woman's breath grew ragged. Her hands trembled incessantly. Gradually, the despair etched in her eyes contorted into unbridled rage.

"If your ears are deaf..." she whispered.

Then, she commenced to utter curses.

"I wish for all your people to perish, War God ■... I wish for your legacy to crumble into dust... I wish for your followers to vanish without a trace... I wish—"

The imprecations flowed forth incessantly, saturated with an ocean of hatred and grief.

Selene felt no recognition towards the woman; she had never encountered her before. Nevertheless, the words spoken resonated deeply within her chest. An uncharacteristic anger surged, akin to an ancient wound being violently reopened.

It felt unmistakably like a deeply ingrained vendetta.

At that precise moment, the fabric of space ripped open within the temple.

A fissure materialized in mid-air, radiating a brilliant white light. From its depths emerged a humanoid apparition. He was entirely adorned in resplendent white attire. His presence alone was overwhelmingly potent. His visage remained indistinct, yet his aura alone exuded an absolute authority.

He uttered no words.

He merely fixed his gaze upon the kneeling woman.

The temple commenced its inevitable collapse.

Stone fractured and splintered. Pillars shattered completely. The ceiling began to crumble downwards.

The woman slowly lifted her head, directing a furious glare at him, her eyes blazing with pure hatred.

"Should there be another existence..." she stated, her voice trembling but imbued with unwavering resolve, "I shall put you to death."

Dust rained down indiscriminately around her.

"I pledge to you... I will exact vengeance for my kin... and I will end your life."

The humanoid figure remained stoically silent.

He offered no reply. He did not stir.

His gaze simply remained fixed upon her.

Then, the entire world violently disintegrated.

The dream concluded.

...[Apex rank Evolution complete]

[Species: Royal Moon Dragon (New)]

[+400 to all Stats]

[New skills unlocked]

[You have gained...]

Selene's eyelids flew open abruptly.

She found herself within the life pod, her chest heaving rapidly. Her respiration was erratic, and the thunderous pounding of her heart echoed loudly in her ears. For a fleeting moment, she remained utterly still, her consciousness still ensnared by the lingering fragments of the dream.

That humanoid entity...

It was undeniably the War God.

She knew this with an instinctive certainty. Having navigated the Trial and cross-referenced the information acquired, she could definitively ascertain that the Saintess had been directing her curses at the War God due to his imposition of a blockade on the Moon, thereby sealing their collective doom.

During the Trial itself, that particular decision had struck her as justifiable, possessing the semblance of a calculated, albeit harsh, sacrifice.

But now...

Now, she could perceive a faint resonance of the woman's profound emotions.

Grief. Searing Rage. Utter Despair.

The unfathomable number of deaths the Saintess had borne witness to seemed to leave an indelible imprint within her mind. The sensation was subtle, yet undeniably present, imposing a palpable weight upon her chest.

At this critical juncture, a luminous screen materialized directly before her gaze.

[Legacy Quest generated]

[Requirements: Terminate the War God]

[Reward: Recollections of Selene Calloway's previous incarnation, The Absolute Truth of the World and the Apocalypse, ???]

Selene's eyes widened in astonishment.

She became immobile, her gaze fixated upon the unfolding screen.

Her own appearance was completely overlooked, as the sudden appearance of the quest stunned her into a state of shock. Her mind grew sluggish, causing her to reread the words imprinted before her eyes, again and again.

Kill... War God?

Before any further thoughts could form, the door to the living room slid open with a soft hum.

"Selene!"

Her father, Chairman Lucius, burst into the room. His gaze, initially wide with relief, quickly shifted to one of worry as he hurried towards her. Reaching the life pod, he assisted her in sitting up before carefully guiding her out of its confines.

"How are you feeling?" he inquired, his voice filled with concern.

"Good?" Selene responded vaguely.

She made a conscious decision to disregard the quest notification for the moment, choosing instead to focus entirely on her own physical state. The instant she did, her expression underwent a noticeable change.

A feeling of immense strength coursed through her.

She felt incredibly powerful.

Her muscles felt both light and potent, and her senses seemed to have heightened significantly. Her mana flowed with a newfound smoothness, akin to a calm, deep river rather than scattered, weak droplets.

Could this be the sensation of being an Apex-rank species?

At that precise moment, she sensed a presence behind her.

Turning her head, she discovered a magnificent tail covered in silver scales swaying gently. The scales caught the faint light, emitting a soft, ethereal glow. Reaching out, she touched it with a sense of fascination. The feeling was peculiar, yet undeniably natural, as if the tail had always been an intrinsic part of her being.

Then, a memory surfaced.

Raising her hand, she brought it to her head.

She felt horns.

Unlike the gracefully curved horns of her elder sister Alice, Selene's horns branched outwards, reminiscent of a gazelle's. Several slender extensions spread elegantly, bestowing upon them a delicate yet undeniably majestic appearance.

"Dad... do you happen to have a mirror?" she inquired.

"Yes," he replied.

Chairman Lucius promptly retrieved his device, activating the selfie camera. He held it up, positioning it so she could see her reflection.

Selene gazed at her image with rapt fascination.

The horns emitted a soft luminescence in the dim light. Embedded within their white surface, minuscule black stars drifted slowly, creating the illusion of a miniature galaxy contained within. Prolonged observation of them seemed to draw her attention inward, causing her mind to wander.

She briefly blinked, then shifted her gaze away.

Selene then reached behind her back, instinctively checking for the presence of wings.

None were there.

Just as she was thoroughly examining herself, Chairman Lucius suddenly muttered aloud, "Where in the blazes is that bastard?"

Almost as if summoned, the door opened once more.

Isaac strode in, looking rather unkempt. His face was flushed, his breathing somewhat labored, and his clothing appeared wrinkled, as though he had just concluded some strenuous physical activity.

Chairman Lucius narrowed his eyes, his gaze fixed on Isaac.

For reasons unknown, Isaac felt an inexplicable sense of guilt under that scrutinizing gaze. He averted his eyes, immediately directing his attention towards Selene.

"Selene... how are you feeling?" he asked, his voice laced with inquiry.

Selene offered no immediate reply.

She simply continued to stare intently at him.

For reasons she couldn't quite pinpoint, the quest notification resurfaced in her mind.

[Requirements: Kill War God]

Her gaze remained fixed on Isaac for an extended moment, her expression utterly unreadable.